The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor body whereby a carrier wafer having an optically smooth main surface is provided with a semiconducting top layer in that the main surface is brought into contact with an optically smooth main surface of a monocrystalline semiconductor wafer so that a permanent bond is formed, after which the semiconductor wafer is made thin by means of a grinding process followed by a polishing process.
Such a method may be used, for example, for manufacturing a semiconductor body having a carrier wafer and a top layer of different doping types or with different concentrations of doping atoms. A semiconductor body having an insulating or electrically conducting intermediate layer between the top layer and the carrier wafer can also be made by the method in that the carrier wafer or the semiconducting wafer is provided with the insulating or well conducting layer before the bond is made. Semiconductor elements may be provided in the top layer. The carrier wafer is connected to the semiconductor wafer by means of wringing whereby the optically smooth main surfaces of the wafers are brought into contact with one another, after which a reinforced permanent connection is made by means of a heat treatment ("wafer bonding"). After that, the semiconductor slice is first made thin in the grinding process, by which much material is taken off quickly, from a thickness of approximately 500 .mu.m down to a thickness of approximately 50 .mu.m, after which the eventual layer thickness of approximately 5 .mu.m is achieved slowly, but with great precision, in the polishing process.
European Patent Application 337556 discloses a method of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph whereby the carrier wafer is fastened to a support body by means of a wax (cement) after wafer bonding, upon which the semiconductor wafer is ground and polished under the supply of a grinding or polishing liquid.
During the polishing process, when the thickness of the top layer is reduced from approximately 50 .mu.m to approximately 5 .mu.m, a support body with a very high geometric precision is required. Fastening of the wafers on the support body must also take place with very high accuracy. The known method described has the disadvantage that the use of a support body on which the two bonded wafers are to be fastened is inconvenient during polishing of the wafer in mass manufacture.